In a significant embarrassment for the Nayagarh district police, just a day after announcing the arrest of four men in a murder case and parading them before the media, officers were forced to release one of them on Thursday, conceding he was innocent.
On Wednesday, Inspector General of Police (central range) Satyajit Naik and Superintendent of Police S Susree announced the arrest of Purna Chandra Nayak, alias Dipu, Mohant Nayak, Manas Behera, and Sridhara Sahoo, all in their 30s and 40s, for allegedly hacking off both hands of Ajit Kumar Sahoo, 38, early on Monday. The victim, accused of extorting money from trucks transporting illegally mined laterite stones in Odagaon, bled to death after the brutal assault.
The four men were detained on Tuesday and formally declared ‘arrested’ at a media conference on Wednesday. Police claimed credit for nabbing the prime accused within 12 hours. However, Sridhara Sahoo disrupted the briefing, insisting he was falsely implicated. “I was not involved in the murder case. Police framed and defamed me,” he told reporters in front of the IGP and SP.
Sources said the senior officers later held a meeting with the investigating officer and other staff of the Odagaon police and accepted Sahoo’s innocence. The faux pas drew sharp criticism, forcing SP Susree to clarify that Sahoo had only been detained for interrogation. “His name was in the FIR on the basis of the complaint lodged by the victim’s family. He was brought for questioning only. He was not arrested, nor produced in court,” she said.
Despite this explanation, police offered no reason for parading Sahoo alongside the three accused with his face covered. The state police headquarters has taken serious note of the lapse and reportedly sought a report from the SP. “We are trying to find out the truth. The investigating officer will be questioned. We must also determine why he was presented before the media and named as an arrested accused,” a senior official stated.
This incident has raised serious questions about police procedures and the handling of media briefings, highlighting the need for greater accountability in high-profile cases.
